WO1994027092A1

WO1994027092A1 - Domestic oven

Info

Publication number: WO1994027092A1
Application number: PCT/FR1994/000494
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Claude Aurensan; Michel Guy De Matteis; Eric Leparfait
Original assignee: Moulinex S.A.
Priority date: 1993-05-06
Filing date: 1994-04-29
Publication date: 1994-11-24
Also published as: DK0697083T3; FR2704738A1; ES2098942T3; DE69401931T2; FR2704738B1; DE69401931D1; EP0697083B1; EP0697083A1; ATE149663T1; US5643486A; JPH08510043A

Abstract

This oven comprises a housing (1) enclosing an open cavity (4) which is closed by a door (6) pivotally mounted about a horizontal shaft (8) placed in the housing. This cavity includes a food-carrying tray (5) horizontally translatable by means of at least one motion transfer mechanism (10) controlled by the door. The motion transfer mechanism (10) of the invention includes several transmision stages, each consisting of a notched belt (12; 23) meshing with two toothed wheels (13, 19; 26, 28) set respectively on two horizontal shafts, the shaft of one of the two wheels of the stage level being comprised of the pivoting shaft (8) of the door, and the shaft of one of the two wheels of the last stage extending into the cavity (4) and bearing another toothed wheel (35) that meshes with teeth on a lower edge (5a) of the food-carrying tray (5). The invention relates for instance to microwave ovens.

Description

HOUSEHOLD OVEN The present invention relates to a household oven comprising a housing having a vertical front face and containing a heating cavity open on the front face and intended to be closed by a door mounted pivoting about a horizontal axis located in the housing, said cavity being equipped with a plate supporting a food to be heated.

It relates more particularly to a mé¬ swim oven in which the food-carrying plate is movable in horizontal trans¬ tion under the action of at least one movement transmission mechanism controlled by the door, placed in the housing and adapted, on the one hand, to transform the pivoting movement of the door into a translational movement of the food-carrying plate, and on the other hand, to ensure a displacement of the food-carrying plate such that it comes to occupy either a position of engagement in which it is entirely contained in the cavity when the door is closed, that is to say a release position in which it projects transversely from the cavity when the door is open.

This type of household oven is particularly advantageous insofar as it allows the food to be placed or removed while avoiding any risk of burns for the user. However, in such an oven, the transmission mechanism adapted to ensure the horizontal movement of the food tray in response to the pivoting of the door generally consists of a complex set of rods hinged to each other, which makes it a complicated transmission mechanism. The object of the invention is in particular to remedy this drawback by producing an oven such that the mechanism for transmitting movement between the door and the food-carrying tray is simple, economical and reliable.

According to the invention, the transmission mechanism comprises several successive stages of transmission as¬ associated with each other and each consisting of a toothed belt mounted on a gear on two rotary teeth, respectively driving and driven type, which are wedged respectively on two horizontal ho¬ shafts mutually mutually, the shaft of the driving gear wheel of the first stage being constituted by the pivot axis of the door and the shaft of the driving gear wheel of the last stage having one end which opens transversely into the cavity and which carries a rotary toothed wheel known as a drive gear meshing with a toothing formed on a lower edge of the food carrier plate and extending over the entire length thereof.

Preferably, there are two transmission stages, the second stage driving gear being wedged on the same shaft as the first stage driving gear.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view in partial elevation of the oven according to the invention, the door being in closed po¬ sition (food holder tray in the cavity);

- Figure 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of one of the two transmission mechanisms coupling the door to the food tray; and - Figures 3 and 4 are schematic partial views of the side of the oven showing, on the one hand, the door in the closed position and the food carrier plate in the cavity (Figure 3), and on the other hand, the door in open position and the food tray protruding from the cavity (Figure 4).

The description of the invention which follows is made with reference to a microwave oven used in particular, but not exclusively, for defrosting and reheating a frozen food preparation, it being understood that the invention also applies to any type of electric oven, whether autonomous or integrated with a cooking appliance such as a stove.

The microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1 carries a casing 1, for example in the form of a straight paral¬ lepiped, having a vertical front face 2, part of which is slightly recessed and has a front opening 3 leading to a internal heating cavity 4, for example of octagonal shape, in which is arranged transversely a rectangular plate 5 which supports a frozen food preparation P visible in Figures 3 and 4, and which is o- bile in horizontal translation under the action of the door as we will see later.

In the cavity 4 opens at least one inlet for microwave radiation (not shown) connected to a microwave transmitter; optionally, at least one arrival of infrared rays (not shown) also opens into the cavity 4, which arrival being connected to an infrared transmitter.

The front opening 3 of the housing 1 is closed, during operation of the oven, by a door 6 (shown partially in broken lines in Figure 1) which is pivotally mounted about a hori¬ zontal axis 8 located in the lower part of the housing 1 and which is dimensioned so as to fit into the recessed part of the front face 2 in order to reconstruct, with the latter, a perfectly flat facade.

The door 6 includes protective means (not shown) which, when the door is closed and the oven in operation, provide a seal against the microwaves and, possibly, the infrared.

The plate 5 carrying the food preparation is made of a material transparent to microwaves such as, for example, a ceramic coated with a glass-based enamel which is easy to maintain.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the oven comprises two identical movement transmission mechanisms, each designated by the general reference 10, which are completely and laterally integrated in the housing 1, in close proximity to the front face 2 of the latter, extending substantially vertically and symmetrically with respect to a median plane Q passing through the cavity 4, and which are each inter¬ placed between the axis 8 of the door 6 and 1 ' one of the two lower edges 5a, 5b of the plate 5 carrying the food prepa¬ ration.

Each of these two transmission mechanisms 10 is adapted, on the one hand, to transform the pivoting movement of the door 6 into a movement of horizontal translation of the plate 5 carrying the food preparation, and on the other hand, to ensuring a displacement of said plate 5 such that it comes to occupy either an engagement position in which it is fully con held in the cavity 4 when the door 6 is closed (see FIG. 3), that is to say a release position in which it projects transversely from the cavity 4 when the door 6 is open, for example at 90 ° (see FIG. 4).

As the two transmission mechanisms 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 are identical, only one will be described below, for example the one on the right in FIG. 1, in order to simplify the description.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmission mechanism 10 according to the invention comprises several successive stages of transmission, in this case two stages, the first of which comprises a planed belt cran¬ ted 12 which is gear-mounted at the times on a large lower gear 13, of the driving type, wedged on a horizontal shaft 14 which is mounted on the axis 8 of the door 6, at one end thereof, and which is engaged in a bore 16 formed in a vertical plate forming a bearing 17 integral with the housing, and on a small upper toothed wheel 19, of the driven type, wedged on one end of a horizontal shaft 20 parallel to the shaft 14 and engaged in a bore 21 formed in the plate 17. The second transmission stage also comprises a notched flat line cour¬ 23, significantly longer than the belt 12, which extends through an opening 24 mé¬ swapped in the plate 17 and which is gearing at the faith s on a large lower toothed wheel 26, of the driving type, wedged on the shaft 20 and placed on the same side as the toothed wheel 19 relative to the plate 17, and on a small upper toothed wheel 28, of the driven type , placed on the side opposite the toothed wheel 26 with respect to said plate 17 and wedged on a horizontal shaft 29, in the vicinity of one end of the latter, which is engaged in a bore 31 formed in the plate 17. This tree 29 opens transversely at its other end 33 in the cavity 4, at a determined level thereof, and is enclosed in a cylindrical sealing sleeve 34 made of a microwave insulating material such as, for example, a ceramic. The through end 33 of the shaft 29 carries a large drive toothed wheel 35, of the driving type, cooperating by gear with a toothing 36 forming a rack which is produced over the entire length of the lower edge 5a of the plate 5 carrying the food preparation.

Thanks to this transmission mechanism with toothed belts, not only a good sliding amplitude of the plate 5 is obtained, but also a flexible and silent operation.

The plate 17, Figure 2, has at its base two horizontal flat wings 38,39 which are fixed, for example by welding, on the bottom 41 of the housing 1 (Figure 1), and on its front edge, a vertical flat wing 42 which is fixedly applied, for example by welding, to the internal part of the front face 2 of the housing 1 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

As shown in FIG. 2, the toothed wheel 13 has a lateral flange 44 having a thin plane por¬ tion forming heel 45, angularly wedged on the shaft 14 and adapted to come into abutment against the vertical wing 42 of the plate 17 at the end of opening of the door 6, so as to keep the door 6 in the open position according to the chosen opening angle, in this case 90 °. In this respect, the vertical wing 42 of the plate 17 advantageously constitutes an internal shielding of the front face 2 of the housing with respect to the abutment heel 45 when the door 6 pivots from its closed position to its green position. . In FIG. 2, the control shaft 14 of the toothed wheel 13 has a flat 47 on which the lateral face 6a of the door 6 is mounted via a corresponding bore 48 formed therein. This flat 47 guarantees better pivoting of the door 6 and provides the latter with greater rigidity, which is necessary when the oven is used almost permanently, such as in the field of fast food.

It should be noted that the stroke of the plate 5 carrying the food preparation is determined as a function of the angular displacement of the door 6 and of the reduction ratio between the driving gear wheels (13,26,35) and driven (19,28) of the transmission mechanism 10. By way of nonlimiting example, for an angular displacement of the door of 90 ° and a reduction ratio of the order of 4, the stroke of the plate carrying the food preparation is approximately 150 millimeters.

Preferably, the cavity 4 includes means for guiding the movable plate 5 carrying the food preparation. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, these guide means consist of fixed pins 50 mounted transversely in the cavity 4 and arranged in staggered rows along the upper and lower edges of the plate 5.

The cavity 4 also includes ac¬ coupling / uncoupling means (not shown) which, when the oven is not in operation, make it possible to make the plate 5 removable so as to facilitate its cleaning as well as that of the cavity. FIG. 3 shows the plate 5 carrying the food preparation P in the engagement position in which it is entirely contained in the cavity 4 when the door 6 is closed.

After defrosting and reheating the food preparation P, the user opens the door 6 whose pivot axis 8 rotates, counterclockwise, the toothed wheel 13 (Figure 2) whose rotational movement is transmitted to the toothed wheel 19 via the belt 12, as well as to the toothed wheel 26 wedged on the same shaft 20 as the wheel 19. In turn, the toothed wheel 26 transmits its rotational movement to the toothed wheel 28 by means of the belt 23, as well as to the drive toothed wheel 35 wedged on the same shaft 29 as the wheel 28. By its rack and pinion en¬ with the plate 5 carrying the preparation food P, the toothed wheel 35 drives in horizontal translation the plate 5 which protrudes from the cavity 4 to occupy, at the end of the 90 ° opening of the door 6, its release position shown in FIG. 4. end of door 6 opening, heel 45 of flange 44 worn p ar the toothed wheel 13 abuts against the internal wing 42 applied against the front face 2 of the housing.

When the user closes the door 6, the plate 5 carrying the food preparation P moves from its release position (FIG. 4) to its engagement position (FIG. 3) under the action of the toothed wheels driven in a movement of reverse rotation from that described above.

Claims

1. Household oven comprising a housing (1) with a vertical front face (2) and containing a heating cavity (4) open on the front face and intended to be closed by a door (6) pivotally mounted around 'a horizontal axis (8) located in the housing, la¬ said cavity (4) being equipped with a plate (5) which sup¬ carries a food to be heated and which is movable in horizontal transla¬ tion under the action of '' at least one movement transmission mechanism (10) controlled by the door (6), arranged in the housing (1) and adapted, on the one hand, to transform the pivoting movement of the door (6) into a movement of translation of the food carrier plate (5) such that it comes to occupy either an engagement position in which it is entirely contained in the cavity (4) when the door (6) is closed, or a release position in which it projects transversely from the cavity (4) when the door (6) is open, character in that the transmission mechanism (10) comprises several successive stages of transmission associated with one another and each constituted by a toothed belt (12; 23) mounted on a gear on two rotary toothed wheels (13,19; 26 , 28), respectively of the leading type and of the driven type, which are wedged respectively on two horizontal shafts (8,20; 20,29) parallel to each other, the shaft of the driving toothed wheel (13) of the pre¬ mier stage being constituted by the pivot axis (8) of the door (6) and the shaft (29) of the driven toothed wheel (28) of the last stage having an end (33) which opens transversely into the cavity ( 4) and which carries a so-called rotary toothed wheel (35) en¬ grenant with a toothing (36) formed on an in¬ lower edge of the food carrier plate (5) and extending over the entire length of that -this.

2. Household oven according to claim 1, characterized in that there are two transmission stages, the driving toothed rpue (26) of the second stage being wedged on the same shaft (20) as the driven toothed wheel ( 19) on the first floor.

3. Household oven according to claim 2, characterized in that the toothed belt (23) of the second transmission stage is significantly longer than that (12) of the first stage.

4. Household oven according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the respective shafts (8,20,29) of the transmission stages are mounted in bores (16,21,31) formed in the same plate forming bearing (17) secured to the housing.

5. Household oven according to claim 4, characterized in that the bearing plate (17) has a vertical wing (42) applied against the internal part of the front face (2) of the housing, and in that the wheel leading gear (13) of the first transmission stage, wedged on the pivot axis (8) of the door, has a flange (44) having a heel (45) adapted to come into abutment against said wing (42) of the plate at the end of the door opening.

6. Household oven according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the toothed wheels (13,19,26,28,35) of all the transmission stages have between them a transmission ratio which is determined so as to allow a relatively long stroke of the food-holding plate (5) when the door (6) pivots either from its closed position to its open position, or by its open position to its closed position.

7. Household oven according to any one of the preceding reven¬ dications, characterized in that guide means (50) are arranged in the cavity (4) to guide the food-holding plate (5) during its movement.

8. Household oven according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cavity (4) is subjected to microwave radiation, characterized in that the part of the shaft (29) of the driven toothed wheel ( 28) of the last transmission stage, located between this driven toothed wheel (28) and the toothed drive wheel (35) placed in the cavity, is enser¬ reed in a sleeve (34) impermeable to microwaves.

9. Household oven according to claim 8, characterized in that the food holder plate (5) is made of a material transparent to microwaves.

10. Household oven according to claim 9, characterized in that the material transparent to microwaves is a ceramic coated with a glass-based enamel.